Younger veterans, submariners recognised at Perth Anzac march

Former army engineer Scott Rogers prepares to march in the Anzac parade with his father Bill, a Vietnam veteran.

Younger veterans will feature prominently in the Anzac parade in central Perth today as the RSL honours those who served in conflicts after Vietnam.

For the first time, those who fought after 1975 will lead the ex-service contingent of the parade, behind serving members.

Former army engineer Scott Rogers, who served in East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Bandah Aceh and Iraq, said it was a great honour for younger veterans to march in front of older veterans, and an opportunity for their contribution to be recognised.

He said that in years gone by, veterans who served together tended to be from the same geographical areas and would march together in their units on Anzac Day.

Younger veterans, however, were more likely to have been on multiple deployments, often as part of a joint peacekeeping force.

They may also hail from different parts of the state and may not have a unit to march with.

"They often don't know who they should march with, so this year we're trying to bring them all together," he said.

"The RSL sees this as an opportunity before the centenary year to recognise individuals who've served more recently.

"It's a one-off occurrence that is very, very significant for us younger veterans."

Family, work commitments keep younger Anzacs apart

Mr Rogers, president of the Bellevue RSL, said Anzac Day was a rare opportunity for younger veterans, in particular, to catch up.

"A lot of younger vets have young families, they have mortgages and they work, so the opportunity to get together doesn't come along very often," he said.

"We're also scattered all over the place, so Anzac Day is a really special chance for us to get together."

Submariners will lead the parade in recognition of the centenary of submarines in the Australian Navy.

Navy spokeswoman Kara Wansbury said 180 submariners were expected to march to mark 100 years since the first modern submarines entered service at the outbreak of World War I.

"The first submersibles were developed 100 years ago and the RAN were early adopters," she said.

"We're expecting four West Australian-based submarine crews to march in the parade."